Clothes wringer



Dec. 8 1925.

I' FEA.

Inventor s Frederick-. Barna s,

Patented- Dec. 8, 1925.

UNITEDV STATES 1,565,000 PATENT oFFIcE.

EEEDEEICK A. BARNES, E CLEVELAND, omo, AssiGNoE To THE EooTE-BUET Cony' PANY, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHI CLOTHES WEINGEE.

onginai appiieaiien med November 17, 1922, serial No. 601,664. Divided and this August 28, 1924.

l `To all whom t may concer/1t."

The invention relates toclothes wringerps such as are used in connection withvwashing machines and particularly' to power-drlven wringers although it is not necessarily' limited thereto. p-

.'The object of my invention is to provide van improved wringer which is simple in structure, convenient to use, can be manufactured at a` low cost, and offers the maximum degree of safety for the operatolgand `for a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the .accompanying description and the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a sideelevation, partly in section of a wringer embodying mfy inventionfe'Fig. 2 is an end view thereo Fig. 3 is alperspective view of a part of the drain board; Fi .j 4 is a pers ective View of a detail, and Fig. 5 is a detail plan` view taken. on line i5--5, Fig. 1, a part of .A --the 'frame being broken away.

Referring to the drawing, 10 indicates the' frame of the wringer which is made in two complementary halves 11 and 12 fastened together by suitable bolts, studs or rivets 13. The frame is split vertically on its longitudinal axis, each half of the frame comprising a side portion, an end portion which is one-half'the entire end wall, and a top portion which is one-half the entire top Wall. When the two frame halves are assembled, the end portions and top portions `fit a ains't each other at their edges as indicate at 14 to space' the side walls apart. In the side portions of the framevv are rectangular openings 15 through which the` clothes are fed to the wringer vrolls indicated at 16. 'On the inner surface of the side walls of the wringer frame at the ends of the frame are formed opposed,'vertically extending integral ribs 17 which servefto hold bearing blocks 18 for the shafts f the Serial No. 734,563.

wringer rolls. vThe' bearing blocks may formed of wood or other suitable material and are provided with grooves 19 on o po- *site sides into whichv ribs l17 fit. Each b ook application led which the lowerbearing blocks rest. Ex-

tending lengthwise of the wringer frame with its ends resting on upper` bearingblocksv 18 is a tensioning spring 21 which is engaged at' its center by the inner end of a post 22. Post 22 projects out throu h an opening 22 in the top of the wringer and is provided with a handle 23 for turning it. Post 22 is ,threaded and fits in a threaded sleeve 24 having a longitudinallyextending rib 25 on one side and a stop' lug in a guide 2 7 formed integral with the wringer frame and its outer end extends through opening 22 in the top of the `wringer` frame. Rib 25 fits in a notch in stop lug 26 to hold sleeve 24 from vertical movement. Lever arm 29 is biased to a `po-v ysition in which finger 30 engages lug 26` by a spring 31 supported by a platform 32 which may be formed integral with guide 27 and the side walls of the frame, and is provided with a recess 33 in which the spring is seated. Adjacent .to the free end of lever arm 29 the =2-top of the wringer frame vis provided with an opening 3 4 through which projects a pin 35 having a head on its inner end for engagement with ame- .26 on the other side. Sleeve 24 is carried arm 29 and a head onv its outer endfadapted to be struck by the hand of the operator. When the parts are in the positions shown in the drawing, sleeve 24 is held from vertical movement by lever arm 29 and the tension of spring 21 on the wringer rolls can bel increased and decreased by `screwing ost 22 down and up. Ifit is desired to quic ly release the tension on the wringer rolls it is only necessary to force pin 35 downward by pushin down on or striking thehead on the en -ofthe pin, thereby turning lever if the ends of the sheds. End pieces 44 have 55.

" arm 29 so as to move linger 30 away from drainA board arrangement which requires .I

stop lug 26 thus releasing sleeve 24. Sleeve no tilting of the board, is easily operated, 24'l and post 22 will then move upward toand providesa downwardly-sloping clothes gether, relieving the pressure on spring 21. chute for the clothes after they have passed To reset the quick release mechanism it is through the wringer. .By providing drain only necessary to turn post 22 in a direction plates 37 for positively .directing kwater to to run sleeve 24 downward until spring 3l 'the drain board, only a very short movement can force finger 30 over vlug 26. iThen theof the drain board is required. Ridge 43 rolls can be put under. tension again by prevents water spilling down the wrong side turning post 22 in the other direction.- of the drain board. Preferably the arrange- At the lower edges of openings 15 the side ment is such that the crank47 and handle walls of the frame are provided with turn "through an angle a little greater outwardly-projecting, downwardly-sloping than 180 degrees in shifting the drain board tables' 36 over which the clothesslide in` from one position to the other. By this passing to and from the'wringer and beneathI arrangement the crank moves somewhat be- ,tables 36 are inwardly-projecting down-` yond dead center so that it serves to lock Wardly-SlOpIlg drain Plates 37,l the inner thejdrain board in position for wringing. edges of which are slightly spaced apart to Also the weight of the crank and the handle provide a slot 38 vwhich extends the length assist in locking the'ldrain board. of the wringer rolls directly under the lower The wringer rolls are geared together by roll. At the bottom of the frame, the ends gearA wheels 51 and the shaft of the lower are provided with inwardly-facing, spaced roll projects beyond the gear wheel and has ledges 39 between which is arranged a slidsplined thereon a sliding clutch member 52. ing drain board 40. The drain board is Clutchmember 52 is provided with teeth preferably made from a single piece of sheet adapted to engage co-operating teeth on a material shaped to provide tivo downwardclutch member 53 journaled in the end of ly-sloping water sheds 41 and 42'separated the wringer frame. Clutch member 52 is at their meeting edges bya rounded, up-` adapted to be moved into engagement with wardly-projecting ridge 43, and end pieces clutch member 53 by a lever 54 located in- 44 for preventing water from spilling Off "side'the wringerlframe and pivoted to it at The-one `end of lever 54 is provided flat, straight' bottom edgesk as indicated at with a forked head 56 which straddles clutch 45 which slide on ledges 39. In end pieces member 52 and has pins 57 which engage 44 are central, vertical slots 46 through 4in a groove-58-in the clutch member. YThe which. a crank 47 extends. Crank 47 has a other end of lever` 54 lies adjacent to the top straight, central portion which extends wallof the wringer frame. Projecting through thefslots and angularly bent ends through an opening 59 in the top wall of V48 which are pivoted in bearing openllgS the frame is a pin 60 having a head on its 49 inthe wringer iframe. At one end crank inner end which engages the end of the leverV '105 47 is provided with all operating handle 50 and a head onits outer end which yserves as which may be made with an arrow head t0 a handle. Clutch member 52 is biased to a indicate the direction of wringing for which position ,outv of engagement with' clutch the drain board is adjusted. In FigL-2 th member 53. i. e., to open position, by a drain board is positioned for wringing from spring 61 which rests in a pocket 62 in platleit to right and' it will be noted that ridge form 32 and engages the underside of lever 43 stands beyond slot -38 as regards the d'i- 54. By pushingv down on pin 60, lever 454 is rection of wringing. Water .Wrung from the turned to bring clutch member 52 into enclothes will-bedirected positively by drain -gagement with clutch member but as plates 37 onto drain board. shed 4l from' soon as this pressure is released, the clutch whence it will run back into the tuby out aiitomatically flies open.- of which the clothes are being wrung. At this time drain board shed 42 forms a chute bevel gearv wheel 63 and adapted to mesh for the'clothes onto which they are directed therewith are two spaced bevel gear wheels by table To adjust the drain board for 64and 65 carried by a vertical driving shaft .wringing in the opposite direction crank 47 66.- S'haftl66 is arranged to have a limited 1s turned through E1n angle of 180 in antiamount of vertical movement and. hasthree clockwise directionv as seen in Fig. 2. This? positions, anvintermediate or neutral, posiy, will slide the drain board toward the left tion ,in which gear. wheels 64 and 65 are a distance equal to the throw of cranku 47 both out of mesh with gear wheel 63,'a lower which -will`bring ridge 43 tothe other side position in which. gear wheel 64 is in mesh of slot 3 8: ,In other words', to adjust the with ear wheel 63, and an upper osition drain board lfor wringing in opposite direcin which gear wheel 65 is in meshV with gear ltions reqiiresonly that itybe slid to move wheel 63l When gear wheel 64 meshes with ridge 43 from oneside of lslot 38 to the other. lgear wheel 63 the rolls are driven in one di- This makes simple and y vadvantageous o rection and when gear wheel 65 meshes there# with the rolls are driven in theopposite di-.i

rection. Shaft 66 Ais `moved vertically to mesh and unmesh the gear wheels by a yoke 67 carried by ahead 68. Head 68 has a threaded opening 69 in which is a' `vertical threaded post 70 journaled at its ends in the walls of a gear'housing 71. On'the upper end of post 70 is an operating handle 72. The screw thread on post 70 has a high pitch so as to be quick-acting and byA turning handle 72 in one direction or the other from `wall of groove v73 are suitable depressions 75 to receive the end of set screw 74, the post being forced upward toward the set screw b a spring 76 locatedbeneath the post. epressions 75 .are suitably located to stop handle 72 in neutral positionand in its two other positions wherein/'either gear wheel 64 or 65 is in mesh with gear wheel 63.

Drive shaft 66 maybe driven in any suitable .manner usually from the same motor which drives the washing machine, and when the wringer is in use it is driven continuously at a suitablespeed.. In use the operator starts the motor .or other driving means forshaft 66 and -then turns handle 72 to bring gear wheel 64 or 65A into mesh with gear wheel 63 according to the direction in which'it is desired to wr1ng.- This,

however, does not start `rolls 16 but only the clutch member 53. l Nw, when the operator wants to wring an article, the operator presses down on pin 60 to turn lever 54 and bring clutch member 52 into engagement with clutch member 53. The wrlnger rolls are then driven and the article can be wrung. It will be seen that with Jthis arrangement the operator is requiredto hold one hand comes caught in the rolls, the rolls7 .willd be'l instantly stopped by the `removal `of the` continuously on pin 60 in order to lee'p the clutch in and the rolls running. This means that thel operator must continuously per. form a conscious act. If the hand is removed, the clutch will immediately open and f to keep'the clutchin, so as nottotir'e theA ope-raton This clutch arrangement in combination with the quick release ,for the rolls.4

offers the highest degree pf 4safety for the operator. If the-operators free hand' beother' hand from .pin 60, a thing-#whichfwill be done' unconsciously and the pressure on the rolls can be then instantlyrelea'sed by striking pin 35.v [This'arrangementA oli'ers a high degree of `'safety for thefurther reason l that the rolls are only `runningwhen--the operatoredesires lto wring and has one hand'on.

pin 60` When the operator is talng clothes from the tub using both hands, the wringer rolls are stopped. This to a great extent doesaway with the possibility ofthe operators hairgetting caught in the rolls when bending over the t-ub. I regard this a1'- rangement as one of the important features of my invention.

My improved wringer has also the advanieces or partsV are required forholding the' caring blocks, ribs 17 and 4seats 2O being integral parts of the frame. "Furt-hermore,

by splittlng the frame in .this manner it is easy thing to cast tables 36 and drainA a pilates 37 as integral parts ofthe fame.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent'statutes, I have described the prin` ciple of operationvof my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but 'I desire 'to have' it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carriedout by other means What I 'claimv as newl and desire-to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. In.a power driven wringer, the combination of a' frame, rolls therein, a drive shaft, reversing gearing for connecting] the drive shaft tothe rolls, a clutch interposed between the gearing and the rolls, said clutch being biased to yopen position, a lever oted inside the frame for moving the clutch to closed position, and a handle projecting from the upperportion of the frame for holding the lever in clutchk closed.

2. In a power .driven wringer, the combi- -1`1o position to maintain the nation of a frame, rolls therein, a clutch member on one of said rolls, a second clutch from @the Vupper portion Vof -the frame for `holding the lever in position to maintain the .115 'member journaled in a wall of the frame, a

las i clutch members' in engagement-against the biasing force.'

fIn a-fclotlieisv wringen the combination i of a frame, rolls therein, shafts for therolls, one ofi said shafts having an extended end, a

lio

Y spaced clutch member on such end, a secondclutch member journaled in the frame, means biasing said clutch members to non-engaging position, a member for moving said clutch,

the yoke to bring either of said spaced gear,"

wheels into engagement with the first-named gear Wheel. j

4. In a, clothes wringe'r, the combination of a frame, rolls therein, walls forming a gear casing at one end of the frame, ahorizontal shaft journaled in an inner wall of said casing, a forwardly facing gear wheel on said shaft, means for connecting the shaft to the wringer rolls, a. vertical shaft extending parallel to the face of said gear Wheel, inions fixed on such shaft, bearings for sai vertical shaft in which it may be moved\axially to bring the pinions into mesh with the,v gear Wheel, a yoke engaging the vertical shaft between the pinions, and 'means for moving the yoke to effect axial movement of Said vertical shaft. f

5. In a clothes wringer, the combination of a frame, rolls therein, shafts for the rolls, onefof said shafts having a projecting end, walls forming a gear casing at one end of the frame, a shaft journaled in an inner wall of said casing, a gear wheel on one end ofV said' shaft, reversing gear wheels in said casing, means for moving them into engagement with said first named gear wheel,

clutch members on the other end of said last f named shafV and on the projecting end of said wringer shaft, means biasing said clutch members to open position, and means located 6. rlhe combination with a wringer comprising a frame, rolls therein, a gear housing at oneend of the frame, and reversing gearing in the housing, of a clutch located inside the wringer frame for connecting the gearing to the rolls, means biasing the clutch to open position, and `a handle which projects through the upper portion of the wringer frame for moving the clutch to closed position against the action of said biasing means. r

7. The combination with a wringer comprising a frame, rolls therein, a gear housing at one end of the frame, and reversing geai` ing in the housing, of a clutch located inside the wringer frame for connecting the gearing to the rolls, mea-ns biasing the clutch to open position, and a handle which projects through the upper ortion of the wringer frame which on belng pushed toward the frame moves the clutch to closed position lagainst the .action of said biasing means.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto Set my hand* this 18th day of August 1924.

FREDERICK A. BARNES. 

